Coal carriers through Barito river told to reduce freights

South Kalimantan's Banjarmasin seaport administrator urges companies shipping coal through the Barito river to reduce their freights to prevent their vessels from running aground on the river, Kompas online reported.

Mud has covered the shipping lane as thick as 20 centimeters in the areas nine to ten miles from the sea, the port's head Captain Sufrisman Jaffar said on Tuesday in Banjarmasin.

He said the depth of water was only 3.3 meters at two points of the river's shipping lane during low tide (low water spring/LWS) in January, compared to 3.5 meters two months ago.

?Carriers must adjust their freights to the condition of the lane and LWS in the Barito River. When LWS is only 3.3 meters, coal carriers having draft above 5 meters inevitably must reduce their freights,? he said.

Shipping traffic was paralyzed for 17 hours two days ago because five coal carriers ran aground in the shallow lane. (*)